My trip to the Korean supermarket resulted in the purchase of several Korean ramens! Korean ramens are known for their extreme spice and the almost intolerable spicy often makes it a challenge for anybody. I can't handle spicy super well, so I chose this brand called "Namja Ramen," which means "Man Ramen." I have a weird/interesting theory about why it is called as such. Because spicy ramen often leaves you really warm and leaves your month on fire, it is the feeling of having a men! LOL.
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In my Korean learning class, my language partner and I decided to translate my Chinese name into Korean. We are trying to make the name as authentic as possible, meaning that it is an average name that a Korean family would give to their male children. My Chinese name is 崇晖, which means admiration and sunlight. In Korean, that would be 경태 (kyongtae), which has similar meaning in Korean.
I visited new grand mart with my friends and ordered Korean food for dinner. I ordered the Tang Jang Myeon, which is a combination of Tangsuyuk (탕수육), a sweet and sour pork dish, and Jajangmyeon (짜장면), a noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of diced pork and vegetables. The dish overall was very tasty!
I would like to conduct a study of morphology variations across Turkey and even in nearby countries with languages in the Turkish language family, especially Azerbaijan. In order to this, I would like to ideally travel across through all of Turkey, all the way to Azerbaijan, and collect sound clips and written phonological notes of how people say the same set of standard sentences, as well as recording general conversations for varieties the standard sentences will not be able to cover.
Turkish, like any language, has many morphemes. Because Turkish is an agglutinative language, needing suffixes and adding suffixes on top of those suffixes to give meaning, it has a huge dependency on derivational morphemes. I would like to investigate how these morphological structures differ in pronunciation and placement in different regions of Turkey, this includes any possible differences in free variation as well. I would also like to see if the agglutinative qualities of Turkish is lower in certain regions of the country. Perhaps these communities have their own unique organizational patterns or they have more influence from non-agglutinative languages.
Azerbaijani is a very interesting language in that it is from the same language family as Turkish and is very similar to Turkish in many ways but is also under heavy influence from its own unique language and Persian. Their inflectional morphology varies a lot with mainland Turkish, with some Azeri dialects using similar suffixes to that of mainland Turkish whereas some suffixes differ. An example I found is of ‘geliyorum’ (I am coming) in Turkish becoming ‘geliyerem’ in some Azeri dialects, with the vowels and pronunciation of the inflectional morpheme suffixes (-um in Turkish and -em in Azeri) changing.
It is a grieve for the extinction of several languages. Tracing the language history and trying to find a reason for the extinction of language, I would say it is hard to find a general answer. In theory, the sudden death of all its speakers could be a sound reason. However, in practice, this would not happen. The extinction of a language is more possible because of language shift. The children are gradually started speaking other languages. The language shift is can happen when there is a dominant language in the region which gradually replace all the other language. After watching the video, ‘When Languages Die’, I feel sad to realize that language will continue to die over time until everyone is using a universal language. I think the way that helps preserve a language would encourage young people to learn both their home-country language and the universal language. I think it might be hard to bring back a dead language, but it will be more easy to protect an existing one.
Korean is among the world’s most misunderstood and misrepresented languages because its origins are obscure and are the subject of ongoing scholarly debate. Evidence suggests that Korean and Japanese belong to the Altaic language family. The Altaic language also includes Turkish and Mongolian.
The really interesting thing is that I had always believed that some of Korean is related or coming from Chinese because Chinese influenced Korean greatly. Almost half of Korean vocabularies are derived by Chinese characteristic. However, Chinese belongs to a completely different language family. In this case, linguistically, Korean is unrelated to Chinese.
Thanks to my language partner, I have been writing in Turkish since early on in the semester. Since modern Turkish is Romanized, it was quick to pick up the reading and writing, though there are sounds and letters that do not exist in English that do in Turkish such as ı, ğ, ş, ü, ç, and ö. I prefer to write in free hand simply because it is quite a pain finding the keys for the special Turkish letters on the keyboard. Additionally, the ‘i’ is replaced with ‘ı’, and it is hard switching to a completely new key for using ‘i’.
There is a definite clear pattern in Turkish writing: it is heavily dependent on suffixes. The addition of suffixes to words creates the central meaning to the whole sentence. Conjugation, of course, is integral to Turkish sentences as well, but even conjugation requires the use of suffixes to denote who the action is being done by, to, or from. For instance, saying “okula gidiyorum” translates to “I am going to school,” whereas saying “okuldan gidiyorsun” translates to “you are coming from school.” Both sentences use the same root words, okul and gitmek, however the suffixes are what make the meaning so different. The suffix -a in ‘okula’ denotes ‘to’ and the suffix -um in the conjugated ‘gitmek’ denotes ‘I’. The suffix -dan in ‘okuldan’ denotes ‘from’ and the suffix -sun in the conjugated ‘gitmek’ denotes ‘you’. Interestingly enough, I have found the organization or words (word order) to be very similar to English so far.
Towards the beginning of my Indonesian study, I would write out new words Julie would introduce to us in my notebook and review the words outside of our meetings, using them to make new sentences in my head. Now I mostly type my homework assignments so that they can be shared with the rest of the group via Google Docs. I usually prefer to write free-hand for lecture notes and personal reminders, but I find it nice to type in Indonesian because Thalia and Julie can go over my work and not be slowed down by the weird style of cursive that I use most of the time.
I have had a growing awareness of the importance of prefixes in Indonesian, and verb structures have been becoming more understandable as a result. Having English as my main source of reference for sentence structure means that sometimes my sentences are clunky to a native speaker, but this has been ameliorated through corrections of my homework assignments.
For our meeting with Julie this week, we will be continuing on the trend of last meeting's assignment (a brief history of Indonesia from 1900-1950) to complete a brief history of Indonesia from 1950-1998 using only Bahasa Indonesia. For Thalia, we completed a short description of our living situations including describing our homes and the areas that surround them using new vocabulary related to locations, businesses, and geography. For this week we are researching "Bahasa Gaul", or slang language/language for socialization, and using new-found words from a Facebook page dedicated to exploring Indonesian slang terms to incorporate them into new sentences. I am especially excited for this part because it is important for me to build up conversational Indonesian skills, and this is the style of Indonesian that is much more commonplace for everyday interpersonal communication.
I learned to write in Korean until I was a second grader in elementary school in Korea. However, once I moved to United States, I stopped my formal learning in Korean. With prior experience in writing in Korean, I feel comfortable writing and typing in Korean with minimal mistakes in spelling and structure. Also, speaking and texting with my tutor in Korean improved my comfortability in communicating in Korean with others. There are many key patterns that you need to know such as different spacing rules and various spelling changes according to context and these patterns are picked up by getting familiar with the context it is used in. The relationship between simple and complex sentences are similar to English where conjunction words are used to combine different clauses. My current knowledge of writing in Korean allows me to communicate the right idea across with minimal mistakes in grammar which do not impair the meaning of my writing.
Here are some sample of writing exercises I did with my tutor:
Overall, I do not think I have reached the point yet where I can write my own thoughts in Maltese. In comparison to my class studies, I am studying Maltese closer to the way I learned my primary language, English. I have been focusing on learning important phrases in the context of a dialogue and vocabulary, more than grammar. For example, one exercise that has been helpful for me is writing out sample dialogues with the phrases that I know. Through these dialogues, I have been able to pick out keywords that will be important for when I do go more in-depth with grammar. As I notice these words, such as tajba (good) and int (you), I add them to a big list. Another writing exercise I have been doing is poetry translation to pick up vocabulary. I write out the poem in Maltese, translate in English, and highlight important vocabulary words. It has also been helpful for me to see how phrases are structured.
One component of the language that is especially tricky for me is the gendered nature of the words. In comparison to Spanish or Italian, which I have previously studied, there are more parts of speech that are fluid based upon gender. It has been a challenge to learn both the masculine and feminine version of words when it is not as simple as “a” for feminine and “o” for masculine. Based upon my poetry readings, though, I am finding that there are similarities between Maltese and Italian grammar. There is the use of “il” or “l” before nouns in sentences and prepositions function similarly. For example, “the” is dropped in the phrase “in the bay” (fil-bajja) similar to the way Italian drops “the” in a phrase such as “in the bank” (in banco). The way Maltese reads seems a bit choppy in comparison to English and the translation is not very clear, but my previous study of languages is making it a little bit more manageable.
In order to keep facilitating my ability to read Maltese and understand the grammar, I think I will focus next on learning the prepositions/pronouns. I have been able to pick up a handful of these words through phrasal context and reading, but it would probably be helpful to memorize them concretely. Tal (of) and fil (in) are examples I picked up through context and wrote down on my vocabulary list. Similar to the way babies learn their first language, I picked up these words through repetition and context. My learning process has been a balance between deductive reasoning and vocabulary memorization. I find it very enjoyable and interesting to learn this way.
On a final note, I have not been doing any typing in my target language. I find that it is definitely more helpful for me to write things out in my notebook, or on a whiteboard. Physically writing out words and drawing visuals has been most helpful for me. In addition, Maltese has a handful of characters that are difficult to type on the computer.
I learned how to write in my target language (Korean) when I was in Korean school during elementary school, and now know how to write it in it fairly well, but am really weak in terms of grammar, spelling and vocabulary. I often don't know what the translation of an English word would be, or how to word a certain phrase and get my spelling mixed up. Spelling is really difficult in Korean because there's several combinations of letters that sound exactly the same, but have completely different meanings. For example, the words 낳다, 낫다 and 낮다 all sound exactly the same out loud, but the first means to give birth or produce, the second means to recover from or to be better than, and the third is used when something is low. My knowledge of the different parts of speech, government and agreement that I learned in the past couple of classes has helped me a bit with this problem. I can now break down the word and separate the meanings of the root and then go from there. I mostly prefer to write in my target language; partially because I don't have the korean keyboard on my computer so I have to guess which key to press every time I write, but also because it gives me a chance to improve my handwriting in Korean. In my most recent class with Jimin, we had an extensive review of Korean history, which was not only useful because I was able to learn about Korean history, but it also introduced me to new vocabulary. For example, I learned about the 인천상륙작전 which was what the landing of U.S. troops was called in Korean. This phrase gave me an opportunity to see how words and clauses interacted together in this phrase. The first part of phrase, 인천 is the name of the Korean city in which the U.S. troops landed, while 상륙 translates to a landing, and 작전 means a plan or an attempt. The three meanings came together to mean the "plan to land in Incheon" but is known through historical context as the landing of U.S. troops during the Korean War.
I learned how to write in my target language (Korean) when I was in Korean school during elementary school, and now know how to write it in it fairly well, but am really weak in terms of grammar, spelling and vocabulary. I often don't know what the translation of an English word would be, or how to word a certain phrase and get my spelling mixed up. Spelling is really difficult in Korean because there's several combinations of letters that sound exactly the same, but have completely different meanings. For example, the words 낳다, 낫다 and 낮다 all sound exactly the same out loud, but the first means to give birth or produce, the second means to recover from or to be better than, and the third is used when something is low. My knowledge of the different parts of speech, government and agreement that I learned in the past couple of classes has helped me a bit with this problem. I can now break down the word and separate the meanings of the root and then go from there. I mostly prefer to write in my target language; partially because I don't have the korean keyboard on my computer so I have to guess which key to press every time I write, but also because it gives me a chance to improve my handwriting in Korean. In my most recent class with Jimin, we had an extensive review of Korean history, which was not only useful because I was able to learn about Korean history, but it also introduced me to new vocabulary. For example, I learned about the 인천상륙작전 which was what the landing of U.S. troops was called in Korean. This phrase gave me an opportunity to see how words and clauses interacted together in this phrase. The first part of phrase, 인천 is the name of the Korean city in which the U.S. troops landed, while 상륙 translates to a landing, and 작전 means a plan or an attempt. The three meanings came together to mean the "plan to land in Incheon" but is known through historical context as the landing of U.S. troops during the Korean War.
I started to write in the target language when I was younger, and I learned by learning the hangul phonetic alphabet, and sounding them out in order to create a sound/syllable. For Korean, I prefer to type because of the shape of the characters; if one is somewhat out of shape, it throws the entire shape of a word out of balance. I started seeing patterns emerge in the structures between simple and complex sentences. Starting with simple sentences, it would be either subject + verb, or subject + object + verb. Complex sentences have the same foundation, but with different endings depending on who one is addressing the sentence to. My knowledge of parts of speech, government, and agreement affect my ability to communicate in written contexts by helping me make a decision from one option of writing from another, especially if they sound the same but hold different meanings. An example of a simple sentence would be:
저 남자는 달리고있다
That man is running
Subject + verb
저 아이는 사과를 먹고있다
That child is eating an apple
Subject + object + verb
As I'm trying to mainly learn how to hold a casual conversation in Korean, I've been writing down the things that I've learned to say. I've also begun texting in Korean with my family. In general, I prefer to type as it's faster and also gives me suggestions for words I'm unsure of the spelling. However, writing it freehand has allowed me to practice more intentionally and really be able to focus on memorizing words and phrases. As a beginner, I've been building short sentences that start with the subject and then the verb or the subject, then the object and then the verb. Although, I haven't learned more complex sentences the structure is the same structure of simple sentences with simply more filler words.
My knowledge of the English language of course affects my understanding of Korean. While English by nature is very specific such as using possessive adjectives to specify what or who they are talking about, Korean is a language that needs a lot of context to understand a sentence. You must listen to the very end of a sentence to see if someone is talking in the past or future or a specific thing. It is sometimes difficult to understand what something means in different context. However, in the writing perspective, Korean has been a little bit easier in the more simple way it is written.
The weather is nice today.- 오늘 날씨가 좋다.
I am Korean- 저는 한국사람이에요
Eric eats an apple - 에릭이 사과를 먹어요
I can write words, and sentences that I have been practicing in Korean. I am still learning grammar rules for complex sentences, such as endings and how verbs change when addressing different people. I prefer to write free hand in Korean because it allows think through the sounds and alphabets; whereas when I type, trying to locate the alphabets take up a lot of time. I have been trying to text native speakers in Korean more often -- but for texts, it's a little easier because I can just use the key words and not have to follow grammar rules. Some of the words/sentences I have been practicing are greetings and about food. Writing about food is actually quite easy -- the basic structure is:
I + am + food + particle (을/를) + verb + (습)니다.
For example:
I eat rice: 나는 밥을 먹습니다.
I have started writing in Korean since the beginning of the lessons. I prefer to type because my handwriting in Korean is awful and I accidentally write English letters that sound like Korean letters. For example, I'll be thinking 아 which sounds like "ah", and I'll unconsciously wirte aㅏ which is like a mix of Korean and English letters. Typing prevents this and looks readable. I saw patterns in the structure of the sentences. In English, the basic fundamental sentences are structured like subject verb and then everything else follows. However, in Korean, the sentences are structured subject everything else then verb. The fact that verb comes at the very end is kind of weird, but it makes sense. In complex sentences, there are things like adverb, adjectives, etc. all in between the subject and the verb. This makes sentences super interesting as it's like a sandwich with subject and the verb acting like the buns. Knowing the parts of the speech in Korean helps me translate to English more efficiently, making it easier to understand complex sentences.
An example of a Korean sentence
저는 한국어를 배우러 도서관에 매주 4:30까지 갑니다.
I go to the library at 4:30 every week to learn Korean
저는 이번 여름에 한국에 갈 계획이 있습니다.
I have a plan to go to Korea this summer.
After I told Seonghye about my interest in Korean celebrations, she was kind enough to put together a power point (attached) and spend part of one of our lessons teaching us about Korean wedding traditions! It was very fun. My favorite part was the video she used that captured several of the rituals in action. Most Korean couples today perform two celebrations, one western and one traditional.
Before the wedding, the bride and grooms family exchange gifts. These gifts are often incredibly expensive (up to $10,000) and are usually skipped by the couples. Traditionally, the bride gives a gift called yedan for becoming part of the family. She would put together items such as comforters, clothes, and makeup for the grooms parents and siblings and sometimes cousins. Between the reception of yedan and the wedding, the groom would put together what's called 'ham' which would be a box of letters from the father-in-law to the bride. Today, this is usually replaced by expensive makeup and jewelry gifts that reflect the bride's fashion.
The wedding takes place in an entire building with multiple floors all dedicated to the celebration. One for the ceremony, one for the food, one for the reception and usually underground parking. Despite all of these sections, a typical Korean wedding only lasts about 2 hours. There are no speeches by the maid of honor or best man, there is also no dancing. Another major difference between Korean and Western weddings is that guests give money as a gift instead of items to help equip the newly weds for their future life together. The parents usually take this money to pay for the wedding.
During the wedding ceremony, there is a lot of very formal bowing. Both sets of parents bow to each other and the couple bows to each set of parents during the wedding and in rituals at the reception. One of the rituals is pyebaek which is a family only reception during which the parents of the bride and groom toss dates and chestnuts to the couple as they try to catch them in the brides wedding skirt. The number of each represents how many children they will have later on.
How have you started to write in the target language? Do you prefer to type or write free hand? Have you started to see patterns emerge in the structures between words, clauses, and sentences? What is the relationship between simple and complex sentences? How does your knowledge of parts of speech, government, and agreement affect your ability to communicate in written contexts? Provide a sample of several short meaningful writing exercises from your target language.
Since I am not currently in the actual Korean class, I haven’t been actually studying the language, but for writing, whenever I text my parents, I attempt to write the messages in Korean. Writing in Korean is my weakest area. Writing texts in Korean is hard because I haven’t truly learned the grammar. So, I tend to write short, casual sentences. I also rely heavily on autocorrect, because spelling in Korean is so confusing and hard.
Here are some examples of a few of my recent text messages with my mom.
하이 엄마 —> Hi mom
아이패드로 문자를 보냈다 ㅋㅋㅋ —> I sent that message with the iPad lol
(Context: I recently got a new iPad.)
Since I only practice Korean writing when I text, I have only been typing instead of also writing on paper. Writing free hand would help me remember what I learned better, but I don’t have a big reason to do so for now. Because I‘m taking Japanese, I noticed that its basic overall grammar structure is very similar to Korean’s. I realized that Korean also relies on patterns with particles that indicate the topic/subject, direct object, and even prepositions. When I speak in Korean, I tend to drop most of the particles, so practicing writing is a good way to force myself to use correct grammar. Knowing more about the parts of speech and agreement helps me to be more conscious of the grammar structure when speaking the language. I think Korean becomes very complex because there are many different phrases to express the same or similar thing or idea.
Since the Korean written language and pronunciation are similar, I learned to write when I learn to speak the words. Since now online chatting app has become a major way for us to contact friends, I prefer to type. Therefore, it is essential for me not only to learn to write but also learn to type with Korean character keyboard.
I could see patterns emerge in Korean language structures, and a lot of sentence structure is similar with Chinese, which enables me to learn faster. In the Korean language, it adds connection words in simple sentences in order to make complex sentences. The way of adding it depends on the circumstances, but the basic rule is quite easy to understand. The following picture is the example of our class material which includes writing exercises of daily conversations.
